


Some dream of the stars

by paladins (rivanyan)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Kid Fic, M/M, Meet-Cute, i just wanted to write a bunch of blushing ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 10:24:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15683523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivanyan/pseuds/paladins
Summary: Popping the latch of the hood requires some vigorous wiggling, and Shiro cringes the whole time it shakes the car. Honestly, staring down at the car innards gives him no clue on what the problem is, but he has no idea what else to do. On the bright side, it’s not emitting any smoke. That is something positive, right?





	Some dream of the stars

There’s a tall sycamore tree that sits on the tallest hill in town, a large bump on the green terrain cresting over the elementary school and the playground park that rests in its shadow. When he was younger, Shiro often climbed its lower branches in winter when the leaves had all fallen, gazing up at the sky with his plastic telescope. Mercury here, Venus there, oh the Moon! And sometimes twinkles of bright light from which he would be able to trace the constellations into existence. Orion’s Belt has always been his favorite, easily found and easily oriented, a much better guide than the North Star to a young kid like him. When it’s time to return to bed, little Shiro always turned away from the sky to peer over the small town below, the lights in the windows and the lights above the doors shining amidst the dark, his own personal stars beckoning him home. That always made it easier to slide down the scratchy wood, to refuse to look back at the sky until next time.

Shiro hasn’t looked at the sky in a long time. He’s since upgraded his plastic toy telescope to a heavier, copper engraved one that he’d been so excited to buy, but both have been gathering dust in his closet for years. He doesn’t mind, not really, but sometimes they pop into his mind, sharp pangs of his heart tugging at him, turning his head to the lonely tree in the distance as he drives his car into the school parking lot. It’s a little like indigestion, but that also might be just him downing a milkshake after the gym. There’s time waiting in the pick up conga line for him to make out the long limbs of the sycamore in the distance, waving forlornly for him to return to its embrace. Today there’s a small plane buzzing a clouded line around it, dipping off somewhere beyond, leaving only the fading trace downwards for Shiro to know the pilot is landing close to town. For how big the town seems some days, there’s really no other communities this far into the hills, a single valley full of dreamers with nowhere to go.

There’s a soft knock on the car window, a lady in an orange safety vest leaning over to peer inside. Rettled out of his thoughts, he reaches for the button to roll it down.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Shirogane. If you’ll wait just a moment.”

“You don’t need to ask me for my ID anymore?” He rests his arm on the windowsill, peering in the same direction that she turns to wave in, the eyes of twenty or so expectant children turned towards them.

“No, you’re the only dad who drives up with that beat up old thing everyday. I think all of us are just waiting for the day you call in to say you can’t make it,” She says wryly, both of them smiling at the excited patter of tiny feet barreling towards them.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m also holding my breath until then.”

“Hi Daddy!” Chubby cheeks grin up at him, the full beam of a five year old’s enthusiasm directed up at him.

“Hi, sweetie, are you ready to go home? Miss Allura will help you in today, okay?”

“See you tomorrow, Elsie. Don’t forget tomorrow is what day of the rainbow?” Allura lifts the scrambling little girl by the waist into the car seat, reaching over to buckle her in.

“Purple!” As if stuck by a thought, she whips around to look at Shiro. “Daddy, we have my purple astronaut hat?”

Shiro waves at Allura as she closes the door, releasing the car brake to chug off home. “Yes, we put your helmet on top of your dresser on Saturday, remember? Next to the red rocket.”

“Oh, yeah I remember.” Elsie settles back into her chair, hugging her backpack in front of her.

Shiro shoots her a glance, knees tucked up and pink rain boots scuffed from play. “Who did your hair up like that? It looks so much better than what I can do.”

Elsie lights up, dropping her legs to sit properly, babbling excitedly about Amazing Miss Allura, and the power of hair ties, and _ did you know  _ ? Koli’s dog had pigtails too the other day, and his mom got mad because they were  _ blue  _ and now Koli isn’t allowed to eat cookies!  

Shiro smiles fondly at the road ahead, the wide curve around the foot of the hill. Children’s enthusiastic chatter awes him in its intensity and ability to quickly peter off as Elsie’s busy day catches up to her. He can see her head bobbing up and down in the corner of his eye as she valiantly fights the drowsiness. He’s looking forward to the wonderful bean bag nap he and his equally wonderful baby girl will have. 

Of course, that’s when his faithfully rumbling car decides it’s time for its own deserved nap and stops, dead under the shadow of the looming hill. 

“Shit!” He curses, immediately wincing and shooting a quick glance at the unbothered snoozing toddler. The handle of the door clicks softly under his hand as he attempts to exit the vehicle as quietly as possible, letting it swing shut gently. Popping the latch of the hood requires some vigorous wiggling, and Shiro cringes the whole time it shakes the car. Honestly, staring down at the car innards gives him no clue on what the problem is, but he has no idea what else to do. On the bright side, it’s not emitting any smoke. That is something positive, right?

Groaning, he lets his head drop, no doubt breathing in noxious car fumes as the smell of burning diesel grows stronger.  _ Maybe  _ , he thinks deliriously,  _ maybe the more gas I take in, the more I’ll understand how cars work and then- _

“Hey,” Shiro startles at the soft greeting, looking up to see a guy wearing a stitched maroon bomber standing next to the hood, frowning worriedly at him. There’s a gold patch on the left arm that looks a little like a wolf eating a corn cob wrong.

When Shiro does not respond right away, brain stuck on the way the guy’s shoulders fill out the jacket, and the way his thighs strain his black jeans, the guy reaches up to rub his own neck awkwardly. “Sorry, I saw you as I was coming down the road, and you kind of looked like you need help? I mean, if I’m wrong and I’m totally bothering you, sorry- I can go-”

“No! No, no, yeah,I really do need help. Your help.” Shiro can’t help stuttering as the words try to get themselves out as fast as possible to make this guy  _ stay  _ . Oh man, his bicep is fucking  _ defined  _ even under all that fabric. “I don’t know a thing about cars, and it just stopped? So I thought maybe checking out the engine would do something, since that’s what everyone usually does.” 

The guy grins, a sharp canine flashing white before Shiro makes himself look back down at the dirty metal under his hands. “That is true, but if it’s dead there’s not much you can do by yourself, unless you drag it to the shop.”

“I could probably drag it a little bit,” He looks doubtfully down at his arms. He doesn’t miss arm day, but he also doesn’t think he could haul an entire car across town. He raises his head in time to see the other give him a considering look.

“I’m sure you could,” The guy says drily, patting the part of the car next to him like he’d be patting Shiro in consolation if he could. Shiro wishes he would. “Say, do you need a ride over to the auto shop? You can let them know to bring you car in before it gets dark.” 

Come to think about it, where did he come from? Shiro straightens up to peer around his car, to where the other man is gesturing at his own. A fiery red sports car is idling right behind the car, bright paint almost shining in comparison to the worn tan that although well cared for, does not hold a candle next to the sheen of glossy cover. Well, in a car that conspicuous, the chances of this dude being a serial killer is significantly lower.

“Can you give Krolia a call to let her know that I’ll be stopping by?” Another precaution, another test for this stranger. Shiro makes his way over to his passenger side, mentally cataloging if there’s anything else in the car that he and Elsie might need later. He unbuckles her, nudging her awake softly before gathering her and her backpack up in his arms. If it were just him, he might be bold enough to take a chance at a joyride in a handsome stranger’s car, but his darling little girl is his top priority now. He slides his own cell from his pocket, balancing Elsie on one arm while she tucks her face irritably into his neck. He’s got Krolia’s auto shop number saved on speed dial, not that anyone should know that.

“Hey man, she says she’ll send someone down with the tow truck now while we go in to talk to her,” The guy’s dark head pops around the side of Shiro’s truck, husky voice trailing off as he takes in Shiro’s newest addition. Shiro tenses, chin lifting defiantly as the sharp gaze narrows into a frown.

“Do you have room for her as well?” No one ever expects the kid when they expect him. Shiro’s already resigned himself to thinking longingly of dark eyes and bomber jackets and sharp teeth at night.

“Well, yeah, you’re not that big,” One brow raises at him, and Shiro gets waved over to the sports car, door opened and ready for him. Elsie almost clonks him in the head as she shoots up to stare in awe at the vehicle. “I just can’t believe you’d drive something that’d break down when you have her.”

He flushes darkly, mostly because it’s true- it's a wreck waiting to happen and he has worried for quite a while. “At least I’m not driving it anymore though, huh?” 

“Hell yeah you aren’t,” His savior slides into the driver’s seat, shutting the doors, and Shiro is suddenly aware of the smell of leather heavy around him, the low gold evening light seeping through the windshield. Both he and Elsie are riveted on the figure next to them, confident hand placed on the top of the steering wheel, pointed grin and pointed gaze focused wholly on them. There's a wry tilt to his smile, as if he knows something that they don't. “Keith Kogane at your service.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just want to contribute back to this wonderful fandom :)  
> lordt give me strength to finish a chaptered fic


End file.
